


seeing things

by nausicaa_of_phaeacia



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Insomnia, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 03:45:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9581882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa_of_phaeacia/pseuds/nausicaa_of_phaeacia
Summary: Daisy can't sleep.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skyepilot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/gifts).



> I obviously haven't been sleeping enough. But I've been listening to a lot of jazz.

The last thing they need is have everyone worry about her sleep cycle, and this isn't the first time she's been awake a few days in a row – okay, with tiny exceptions of very short naps – so she tries to hide it as much as possible. It's a little different with Coulson, they've shared warm milk or Scotch or canned ravioli at unseemly hours before, accidentally meeting in the kitchen, but he's got enough on his plate as it is. She's not exactly avoiding him, but she's trying to only make her night-time visits to the kitchen when she's pretty certain it's empty.

When Coulson still had the Director's office, it was different. Back then, it was easy to tell when Coulson was awake, with the melancholy jazz seeping out of the room from under the door, like a whisper, only to be heard from a close distance. He had insisted on keeping his standard agent's bunk, though, when it was established that he'd be making important strategic calls again. Daisy guesses residing in a large office is of major importance in keeping up the illusion – even within S.H.I.E.L.D. – that Mace is still the one in charge. She doesn't hear him listening to his records anymore, Coulson is far too thoughtful to do that in close proximity to everyone else's bunks.

As Daisy is about to walk into the kitchen, she hears someone opening and closing drawers. She sort of expects to see Coulson in a t-shirt, making a mug of hot cocoa or something, probably barefoot, hair probably tousled like he's been tossing around in bed. She half-smiles as she carefully peeks inside the kitchen, but it's Fitz – obviously quite drunk, she can smell the tequila now –, probably looking for a Tylenol or something. She doesn't even debate making herself heard, just quickly turns around to avoid having to talk to him. To be honest, it's been a very long time since she's felt comfortable in a conversation with Fitz. People always change, she guesses, and obviously not always for the better.

Since the kitchen is taken, she tries to think of a quiet spot to sit. When she's unable to sleep, her bunk feels like too much of a confined room, like the walls and ceiling are getting closer. Getting some air would be best, but she doesn't really want to leave the base anymore, not when she isn't on a mission anyway. It's gotten too dangerous in terms of publicity. Daisy almost wants to walk back to her bunk when she thinks of the hangar.

She's not actually tiptoeing, but approaching the hangar in the middle of the night feels like she is. When the door noiselessly opens, she almost expects to suddenly get caught, but it's almost empty, with the exception of two or three planes and a few smaller vehicles, including Lola. She considers getting into Coulson's car and sit for a bit, that would probably feel comforting, but sneaking out to hide in Lola without Coulson knowing feels like a breach of trust. Joining May's LMD in the car felt weird enough already.

There aren't really any great spots to sit in besides the vehicles, so Daisy walks up the stairs to one of the galleries in the hangar. Being here feels a little strange, like she's not allowed to, not when there isn't anybody else around. She's about to just sit down on the floor, looking down on the hangar, when she discovers one of those small ladders that are basically just a few pieces of metal fastened to the wall, and climbs up. It leads to some sort of storage space and probably vents. She looks for a spot behind a stack of boxes – and there, lying on his back, hands beneath his head, lies Coulson.

He gives her a very calm smile. "Hey."  
She's pretty embarrassed, actually, but smiles back, hoping not to blush.  
"Escaped the kitchen?"  
For a moment, she looks really surprised, then understands. The kitchen is his favourite spot for such nights, too. She nods. "Yeah. Fitz."  
He sits up. "Yeah, he was in the kitchen maybe an hour ago, too. I think he's been trying to make some food."  
She chuckles.   
"But this is actually nice, look –" He points to something above them, and Daisy bends down to sit next to him, looking up.

"Oh."  
She can hear him smile. "Yeah."  
The air vent above allows them to look at the night sky – through bars, at least. It takes her breath away a little, and she feels herself getting sort of emotional for no reason, must be the lack of sleep.  
"It's ... beautiful."  
It surprises her that she can tell he wants to say something to that, but he's holding back. He lies back down instead, and after a moment of hesitation, she joins him, her neck is getting a little stiff from looking up.

"Have you been here often?"  
Her eyes are fixed on the few stars visible, so she can't see his face when he replies. It almost sounds a little sad. "A few times, yeah."  
"Thanks for sharing it."  
"... Sure."  
"I needed to – to get out of my bunk, I guess. Maybe it's ridiculous, but I felt a bit trapped."  
"Like the walls were moving closer?"  
She looks at him, and their faces are so close, she feels embarrassed, nods.  
He holds her gaze for a moment, then averts his eyes. "It's been a tough few weeks."  
"Yeah." She thinks she sounds maybe a little too defeated, after all, she doesn't want Coulson to worry. This isn't much different from the other times she hasn't been able to sleep. At least this also means no nightmares.

He suddenly takes her hand but keeps looking up at the sky. With wonder, she realizes she hasn't flinched even the tiniest bit. It feels like something he should have done a long while ago, like something that could never have made her uncomfortable. As she moves her hand a little, she can feel him almost holding his breath, but it's just to lace her fingers through his, and the breath he takes after that sounds so much like relief that Daisy's heart starts to beat far too fast.

He turns his head to look at her and if he's looking closely, the stars are in her eyes, mirrored even through the vent, and everything feels possible. And it must be possible, because she notices he's looking at her and turns to face him, too – smiling. She gives his hand the tiniest tug, bringing his face closer to hers, the look in her eyes – albeit shy – suddenly so full of kindness that he thinks: this is it, this is the moment before it happens.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Hope you liked it! :)


End file.
